Demons
by peacepoetrypotter
Summary: IMMEDIATELY POST-BERLIN. TIVA. SLIGHT MCABBY. MULTI-POV. FAST-PACED. SONG FIC ON LIVEJOURNAL: 'DEMONS' & 'IT'S TIME' BY IMAGINE DRAGONS. After a car crash leaves Tony in critical condition, the rest of Team Gibbs takes matters fully into their own hands.
1. After Berlin

_**FOR FULL VERSION FOLLOW PROFILE LINK TO MY LIVEJOURNAL**_

**"Tony…" she whimpered,** gripping his hand tighter, the slow pulse her only comfort. The hand grew even paler, and Gibbs reached over, prying her fingers away and transferring her death grip to his own sweating hand. Ziva leaned into him, breaking down into tears.

"It should have hit me…"

"Ziver-" Gibbs said with a tone of warning.

"The car hit the passenger side-"

"I know-"

"He leaned over, he was protecting me-"

"Abby has the cars, Ziva."

"Gibbs-"

Her eyes met his, but she was unable to choke anything else out.

"Tell him, Ziver."

Gibbs pulled away from her gently, laying a soft kiss on one of her trembling hands.

"When he wakes up."

He stood up slowly, placing her hands back onto the crisp white sheets of Tony's hospital bed. He kissed her hair and walked to the door, pausing for a moment to look back at his two injured team members. He gritted his teeth, closed the door, and flipped his phone open.

**"Anything else?" the** waitress solicited, smiling coyly at the customer as she placed the coffee cup by his left hand.

"No, thank you," he responded brusquely, checking that the screen of his laptop was out of the view of her curious eyes. As he slid the earwig into his ear and began muttering in Hebrew, the waitress walked back to the counter. He peered at her ass for a moment before yanking the earwig out and stuffing it and his laptop into a large black briefcase. He straightened his lapels and stood up, extending his hand to the man approaching him.

"Hadar, Shalom," he said politely, gesturing to the seat across from his.

"Shalom, my friend. It has been too long, Ilan."

**"Ducky?" McGee distractedly** answered his phone as he dragged himself through security.

"Can you come-Timothy, where are you?"

"Just getting in. I had to pick Sarah up late last night. You need me?"

"You could say so," Ducky said softly.

McGee tucked his badge into his pocket and ensured that his gun was in its proper place. He sent a quick text to Abby that he would meet her by her lab, knowing she was already in for work but not in autopsy. She met him excitedly, hugging him tightly and shoving him back into the elevator. After her excitement faded the worry streaked her face. McGee kissed her cheek.

"They're going to be okay, Abby. I promise."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

**"I don't care** what Homeland has to say about it. These are my people!" Leon griped strongly.

"I understand, Leon-"

"No, you don't-"

"But you're biased on this ma-"

"We're all biased on this matter!"

"Particularly NCIS!"

The door flung open. Leon vaguely disguised a smirk of pride as McGee strode into the office. The man had indeed learned a good deal from Gibbs.

"We're done here," Leon stated firmly. McGee exchanged a glance with the Secretary as the man huffed and walked toward the door.

"I can't have your back on this one, Leon. This isn't just Bodnar or Mossad we're talking about. You're fighting the CIA, FBI, Homeland, everybody."

"We're done here," he reiterated. "But thank you for your input, Secretary."

The door closed and Leon looked to McGee expectantly.

"And Gibbs?"

"On his way now."

"Keep me as informed as you can."

"Yes, Director," McGee nodded.

**The door to** autopsy couldn't open quickly enough for Abby. She rushed in, pulling McGee by the hand even though he was perfectly capable of walking on his own. As soon as they could hear one another, Jimmy began spurting words.

"Palmer! Palmer, slow down!" McGee jumped, and Ducky interjected, handing evidence to Abby.

"I believe that you will find…that this man is indeed one of Bodnar's associates."

"Abby, could you try to find out-"

"If he was either tracking them or ordered to hit them or both?"

"Perfect," McGee grinned lightly, turning back to Ducky. "Anything else?"

"Nothing else substantial," Ducky said. "This is my report. It will tell you everything we know so far."

McGee pulled the folder into his hand.

"Thanks, Ducky. Tell me-"

"If we find anything else," Ducky finished. Abby and McGee rushed out as rapidly as they had entered.

**"Shalom, Hadar," Ilan** bid his old friend good-bye as he stepped into the backseat of his car.

"Shalom, Ilan. Be safe. I will see you this evening," Hadar replied, waving quickly and then turning to his driver. He sped away with the blink of a left turn signal and all the urgency of a fugitive. Ilan smirked at this, as Hadar himself was no fugitive, only the friend of one. Nothing to worry about.

Now back to the hotel.

**The first thing** Tony remembered was shoving himself in front of her.

_Ziva - oh god - Ziva!_

His thoughts raced and he struggled to wake up, trying to believe he was in some sort of nightmare.

_No, no, not Ziva!_

He heard a soft shushing sound and felt a clammy hand sweep over his hairline.

"I'm here, Tony. I'm here. It's okay, it's going to be all right, Tony."

His heartbeat slowed and his tongue found its way through his lips.

"Ziva," he managed to groan.

"Tony," she replied, and one of her hands moved to grab his. He pulled her closer, pressing the back of her hand to his lips.

"Ziva, I…" he began, but she again shushed him. He felt the slightest gust of air, as though she had swirled away from him. Her hand released his and his heart sped up. He begrudgingly forced his eyelids open to behold a pair of masculine arms wrapping affectionately around Ziva's back. He felt sick to his stomach, even as he watched Ziva pull away from the man. Then he was greeted by a familiar voice which dissolved his doubts.

"How're you feeling, Junior?"

**"What did they** say?" Abby exclaimed.

"Tony's awake," McGee answered.

"And Ziva?"

"Ziva's fine, just like she was two hours ago, when we last heard from them."

"What do they mean by fine, Tim? I mean-"

"Ziva is doing well. She can sit up on her own and all. She's at Tony's side now," Jimmy interrupted, and McGee and Abby swung to face him.

"Breena's been calling the hospital every fifteen minutes," he said in explanation. Abby gulped.

"Abby, they're okay," McGee reassured her. She looked at him sceptically, then leaned into him.

"I know…I'm worried, too," he admitted. Abby gave him a peck on the cheek then opened her arm to include Jimmy in the hug.

**Leon gripped his** daughter's hand, glancing to his side to check that Lara was there. Sure enough, she walked only a couple steps behind, his son at her side. The grass squished beneath them from the recent rain.

They reached the site of Jackie's grave within ten minutes, and Leon knelt to the ground, tears streaking his cheeks.

"We've almost got him, Jackie. We're so close, baby," he moaned, unable to form clear syllables. The voices of the others followed his: Lara introducing herself, Kayla boasting about her science project, and Jared about his friends.

Out of the corner of his eye, Leon spotted a man in a black suit who seemed to be watching them. He gently grabbed Lara's wrist and whispered to her. When Leon looked back the man had turned away and seemed to be holding a hand to his cheek. Leon whipped his phone out of his pocket.

"Special Agent McGee's desk," said Abby.

"Abby," Leon said quietly. "I'm at the cemetery. There's someone near me making a phone call, can you see who it is?"

"Of course, Director. Just a minute."

Leon tapped his foot impatiently, listening to the clacking of keys on the other end of the line.

"Sorry, it's a blocked number…"

"Well, unblock it-"

"Uh-oh," McGee's voice fell heavily.

"What?" Leon demanded.

"The phone is registered to Mossad," Abby said after a moment, and Leon promptly hung up. He laid a gentle hand upon Lara's upper back.

"Get back to the car, now."

She looked at him with confusion and concern, but silently convinced Kayla and Jared to follow her calmly. Leon recklessly rushed over to the stand of trees the man had been standing by, only to find that he had disappeared. Leon cursed under his breath and speed-dialed McGee.

"Special Ag-" Abby began again, but Leon interjected.

"Get Mossad in MTAC, and keep tracking this bastard."

**Gibbs pressed violently** on the phone's power button, shutting it off, and took a deep breath. How far was Bodnar really going to go?

He spent the next hour cleaning his weapons, thinking of Ziva and Tony, Abby and Tim, Kelly and Shannon, Jenny and Mike, Eli and Jackie, Leon and Tobias.

He positioned his rifle then set it back down.

He took a swift swig of whiskey.

**Ilan paged mindlessly** through an old volume of _The Picture of Dorian Gray_, passing time until his phone buzzed. When it finally did, he smirked as he answered the call.

He carelessly shoved the book into his suitcase and walked out of the hotel room. He winked at all but one of the women he saw as he passed through the lobby, before sliding into the backseat of a regal automobile.

"Shalom, Hadar."

"Shalom, Ilan."

**"I didn't know** you could sing, sweetheart. You have a beautiful voice," said Senior. Tony tried to roll his eyes, but his headache interfered.

"I only know those songs. My sister loved the opera."

"I also didn't know you had a sister."

Ziva nodded solemnly.

"Sore spot?"

"Very," Tony said protectively. Ziva patted his hand. Senior glanced at his watch, feigning surprise at the passage of time from the late morning in which he had arrived.

"Well, I promised a friend of mine I'd meet him for dinner, so I'll just leave you kids to your own devices," he winked.

"Dad," Tony groaned, but Ziva cracked a smile.

"See you tomorrow, Junior, Ziva," Senior said, placing his hand upon the door and blowing a kiss to Ziva. He exited brightly. Tony chuckled.

"You do have a beautiful voice, though. He's right about that. Actually, he's right about you a lot."

"Particularly through your eyes?"

"Huh?" Tony pretended to not know what Ziva was asking, nervousness welling up in him again. A few moments of silence passed and Tony's breath became sharper. Ziva drew an impressively deep inhale.

"I love you, Tony."

**Hadar's driver stepped** around the car, pulling Ilan's suitcase from the backseat.

"Toda," Ilan hummed, pulling his phone out again and checking for messages. Only one. He pressed the speed-dial button.

"Anything interesting with the Vances?"

"A visit to the cemetery, nothing much. I think he noticed me, but-"

"You were not to be seen!" Ilan shouted.

"He does not know it is me, Ilan!"

"Keep it that way!"

Ilan sighed and shrugged off the curious expressions of his companions. He motioned for Hadar to lead the way, and together they walked towards Hadar's private plane, which the man had courteously agreed to allow Ilan to use for his own travel. It was a generous, risky offer, and one which Hadar proved unable to follow through on.

Ilan Bodnar dropped dead before he reached the steps of the plane.

**"Go."**

The order escaped his lips, laced both with venom and pleasure, and he lowered his rifle.

"I got him, Ziver," he whispered.

**"Rewind, rewind! Did** you just-"

"I love you, Tony," Ziva repeated, exasperation wearing on her.

"I- Ziva, I love you, too," he croaked, grasping her hand even more tightly, wearily trying to pull her closer. She slowly kissed his forehead, his hot breath bringing small beads of sweat to her neck as he tilted his head back. She readjusted their hands so that their fingers were entwined, and brought her lips down to his.

**Hand in hand,** Tony and Ziva stepped out of the elevator and reluctantly walked towards autopsy. Tony stopped right before the door opened.

"Are you sure about this, sweet cheeks?"

"Yes! And don't call me that at work, Tony!" Ziva reprimanded teasingly, walking straight toward Ducky's open arms. The three moved to the freezers and Ducky opened one at hip-level. He unzipped the top half of the body bag.

Ziva stroked Ilan's hair for a short moment, tears swelling behind her eyes.

"How could you? You were family! He trusted you, Ilan!"

She gritted her teeth, and Tony reached back to her hand. She fell into him and let out a great flow of tears, perfectly safe in Tony's loving, comforting arms.

She stood herself up to her full height and wiped her cheeks.

"Upstairs?"

She nodded, and with two grateful expressions to Ducky, they headed back into the elevator. They shared a quick kiss before reaching their floor, and then darted out. Ziva and Abby rushed to happily embrace each other and, as he had when the team had returned from Operation Rescue Ziva, Leon gave the cue for the entire floor to clap in celebration.

As they finally sat back down to their desks, Tony pulled a photograph from his jacket and tacked it onto his board, tacking a slip of paper immediately beneath it. McGee, Abby, and Ziva curiously squinted at the picture. Ziva was the first to smile, realising that the photograph was somewhat blurry security footage from the bar in Berlin. Her hand resting upon his shoulder, the photograph capturing perfectly the initial moment in which they were focused on each other rather than their task, their eyes trained seductively on those of their respective partners, and a playful note entirely in lowercase but carefully written letters.

_we'll always have Berlin, sweet cheeks._

**Author's Note: Bodnar is reading The Picture of Dorian Gray; Dorian Gray, simply put, sold his soul for his youthful appearance.**


	2. High Time

**_FOR FULL VERSION FOLLOW PROFILE LINK TO MY LIVEJOURNAL_**

**"Copy, Jethro," Fornell** affirmed, and gestured to the agents at his sides. He tucked his cell back into his jacket and loaded his gun. He followed in the path of his team and charged onto the runway. The door of the plane slammed shut and he heard frantic yelling in Hebrew and Arabic, but could not make out any specific words. The man remaining alive on the runway turned to him, opening his arms.

"What's this, Tobias? Escort service back to Washington?" he sneered.

"You're under arrest, Hadar," Fornell grumbled, cocking his weapon.

"For what?"

"For aiding and abetting Bodnar," another FBI agent said firmly.

"We were only going to take a flight. Strictly personal. No business involved."

"It's always business with you, Hadar," Fornell jeered.

"One could say the same for you, Tobias."

"One could. But see, I'm one of the good guys."

"Stop playing, Hadar. On your knees, hands behind your head, now."

"Why would I do that?" Hadar smirked, his hand travelling to his waist.

"You're surrounded, Hadar."

"You're a bastard, Tobias."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Hadar sprinted off, and a chase ensued. Gunshots and flashes of light in the dark of the German evening filled the air, and with Hadar aiming straight for him, bullets grazed Tobias' arms. One came closer than the rest, and he cringed at the tear in the shoulder of his jacket and the bloodied shirt beneath.

Hadar paused to reload his gun and Fornell closed in.

**Tony wrapped his** fingers around the knob and opened the basement door, heading carefully down the stairs. When he was able to see the room Gibbs was leaning against the counter, two mason jars sitting next to an open bottle of whiskey.

"Got a visitor, boss?" he asked. Gibbs just stared at him with raised eyebrows.

"Right," Tony concluded, and stepped off the stairs.

"Boss, I don't know how to say this, but…"

"I know."

"You know? Wait, what do you know?" Tony inquired anxiously.

"You love her," Gibbs said calmly.

"But if you- if you already knew that then are you saying that- boss, are you giving me permission to break a rule?"

Gibbs took another sip of whiskey and waited a moment before responding.

"Some rules…weren't meant to be followed. Rule number twelve, is one of those. Rule number five, is not."

"Rule number five…" Tony tried to place the rule.

"You don't waste good," Gibbs said authoritatively. After a few more moments of silence, he spoke again, more softly.

"Sit with her, talk to her, hold her hand, steal kisses and glances, even at crime scenes. Lift each other up, fall even harder. Make love to her, protect her, let her protect you. Drink expensive wine, laugh until it hurts. You've already gone the distance, she already knows why, and she feels the same way."

He let out a powerful breath.

"Whether you agree or not, DiNozzo, you're not an idiot - and only an idiot would let Ziva David get away."

"Didn't know you cared so much, boss," Tony said teasingly, still struggling to process what he'd been told. He'd lived eight years under the impression that Gibbs would never permit him to be with Ziva. Yet, here they were. It was certainly true that, as much of a creature of habit as he was, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was the type of man that a person could know by heart, work alongside for a decade, and continue to be surprised by.

Tony's makeshift glass was drained. He set it back down on the wood surface, his eyes scanning the boat to his left, and pursed his lips.

"Thanks, boss," he muttered in disbelief, and retraced his steps up the stairs. He reached into his jacket as he exited the front door and pulled out his phone, pressing the first number on speed-dial. The call was answered immediately.

"Tony?" she asked gently.

"Still up for dinner, sweet cheeks?"

She sighed.

"Not giving up on that one, are you?"

"Not anytime soon."

"See you soon, Tony."

"Ditto, Agent David."

**Leon groaned as** his door was slammed shut.

"I warned you, Leon!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Secretary."

"Oh, don't play dumb with me!"

"This isn't a game, and even if it is, I'm not playing."

"Then explain why Ilan Bodnar was killed while boarding a private plane earlier this week!"

"Only if you can explain why no one else was there to stop him from getting on the goddamn plane."

"So you do know about this?"

"Sure as hell it's still no game."

"I don't have time for your sarcasm, Director."

"And I didn't have time to let him get away. My best people and the FBI's best people were on his tail. Off the books. And with the damage that bastard's done to Ziva, Eli wouldn't have wanted us to settle for him rotting away in prison. He got better than he deserved."

"Leon-"

"He killed my wife, for god's sake! He had no place taking her, even less than he did to hurt Eli."

"And Kazmi?"

"Killed by one of Bodnar's associates. We've got another of them down in interrogation; he's given us almost everything we need to convict the rest."

Secretary Jarvis sighed.

"Very well, Leon," he grumbled, and walked out of the room, knowing that Leon was too stubborn for the conversation to continue. Leon straightened his lapels and adjusted his position in his chair. He cleared his throat and smiled at the photographs on his desk.

**The dress hugged** her sides tightly, its dark blue lighting up her eyes and making her hair look somewhat shiny. She ran her fingers on the star of David sitting at the top of her bust.

"Lucky man, he is," a voice came from behind her. She turned back to her open bedroom door to see Schmeil looking upon her proudly.

"A damn good one, too, if I must say so myself. And don't get me started on his sense of humour-"

Ziva laughed brightly. Schmeil reached around her neck, setting the clasp of her necklace on the nape of her neck. He kissed her forehead, and the doorbell rang. She took a deep breath before briskly walking over, peering through the eyehole and opening the door. Greeted by the grinning Tony, she smiled even more widely.

"Oh…wow," he said breathlessly. "You…you look wonderful."

"Thank you, Tony. Worth mentioning you don't look so bad yourself." She patted his shoulder jokingly. He gripped her hand, pressing it to his shoulder, and kissed her gently. Ziva heard the footsteps from behind and teased her head back.

"Tony, you remember Schmeil."

"Schmeil, the man of steel! Of course!"

"Tony!" Schmeil acknowledged him excitedly, coming over to them and paternally gripping the younger man's arm. He practically shooed them off, pretending to demand that Ziva be returned by midnight but simultaneously winking at Tony. Ziva and Tony bounded hand in hand out of her apartment building and into Tony's car, kissing deeply but momentarily before Tony drove off.

**In a caffeine-** and wine-induced gentle haze, Abby nervously grabbed at McGee's hand in anticipation of the jury's decision. She relaxed when the death sentence was announced for each of Bodnar's associates, and scooted close enough to McGee as they left the courtroom that he took the cue to sling his arm around her waist.

She exhaled informally and shook out her court jitters on the building's steps, catching Tony and Ziva out of the corner of her eye as they too exited. She bounded over to them, McGee taking her bag when she rushed away forgetting that its handle was around her forearm. He chuckled, following her as the team inevitably began to assemble in that spot. Even Breena, Kayla, Jared, and Fornell were there, fully completing the growing circle with Schmeil and Senior bonding on the outskirts, seemingly sharing jokes.

**Senior turned to** flirt momentarily with a stewardess and Tony groaned teasingly. His father swung back around with a white smile.

"Finally came to your senses, Junior! Congratulations!"

"Congratulations on what? There's nothing official yet!"

"Yet," Senior iterated. "Besides, getting a woman like her deserves praise no matter what."

"She's not a prize, Dad!"

Senior leaned forward as Ziva approached them on her return from the airport lavatory.

"Precisely," he whispered to his son, and opened his arms enthusiastically to say his goodbyes with Ziva.

**"My, my, Ziva,** you really are something," Abby said cheerfully, fastening the clips to Ziva's hair and hugging her tightly. They took a very deep breath in unison and after a glance at the clock Abby sped out of the room. She returned with Gibbs obediently in tow, and Ziva carefully turned around to face them.

"Are they ready?"

"Any longer, DiNozzo'll jump out of his skin, Ziver. McGee's about ready to slap him silly," Gibbs assured. Abby excitedly brought her hands to her mouth, smiling like a fool but not unlike every other person around. Gibbs embraced Ziva, whispering softly in her ear, then kissed her cheek. He ushered the two women out of the room and extended his arm to Ziva.

Abby caught McGee's eye and he motioned for everyone to stand. Ziva turned back to Abby with a nervous smile and Abby draped the veil over the back of the gown. With the cue from McGee, Kayla began playing the piano; Abby, Gibbs and Ziva stepped forward in unison through the aisle.


End file.
